Pilot HistoryDavid earned the DFC with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart for wounds sustained on this mission. He was credited with two Ki-43 Oscars on September 21, 1943 near Madang over the Cromwell Mountains. When he returned to the United States, David returned to California and took the stage name Dan Rowan and teamed up with comedian Dick Martin and together they created the television comedy series "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" (1968-1973).

Aircraft History
Built by Curtiss in Buffalo, New York. Delivered to the U. S. Army serial number 42-104???.
Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled.

Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 49th Fighter Group, 8th Fighter Squadron. No known nose art or nickname.

Mission HistoryOn October 24, 1943 took off from Tsili-Tsilli Airfield on a strafing mission of barges south of Madang. Hit by ground fire, this P-40 was damaged but reached the Watut Valley near Lae before the engine seized. Pilot David force landed near Hopoi and suffered a back sprain in the crash.

Rescue David was later rescued by a L-4 and was transported to Oro Bay and recovered at the hospital before being transported back to the United States.

ReferencesAWM Photo 059272 P-40 near Hopoi possibly this aircraft, photographed October 26, 1943Protect and Avenge page 192, 208
"The Warhawk squadrons were still fully engaged in the reduction of the enemy camps on the Huon Peninsula and the men at Marilinan again had to rescue another stray Blacksheep on the 24th. Lt. Dan David had been hit by ground fire while strafing barges south of Madang and had nursed his holed P-40 all the way to the Watut Valley where the engine shut down. Just as squadron mate Thorvaldson had done seven weeks prior, David attempted a belly landing on the Waffir River sandbar, but his plane cartwheeled and slammed down in heavy brush. Luckily, and L-5 liaison hack reached the flyer who had barely been able to crawl from the wreckage despite a severe back sprain. The injured man was eventually evacuated to the hospital at Oro Bay, and then back to the United States."
Thanks to Edward Rogers for research and analysis

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